PDP-Laban exec bares 8 other Cabinet men being considered in Senate lineup for Eleksyon 2022

PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag on Tuesday bared the names of eight Cabinet secretaries who are being considered in the party’s senatorial lineup for Eleksyon 2022.

In a virtual interview, Matibag named the following Cabinet men who are included in the initial list of PDP-Laban’s slate:

• Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade
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• Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
• Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles
• Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo
• Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque
• Public Works Secretary Mark Villar
• Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones
• Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Greco Belgica

Matibag said they are trying to create a lineup composed of all PDP-Laban members but “realistically,” he said they might field only nine PDP-Laban members in their final 12.

Among these eight Cabinet officials, Matibag said Roque, Villar, and Castriciones are not affiliated with PDP-Laban.

Apart from the Cabinet officials, PDP-Laban is also considering Quirino Governor Dax Cua and Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez in its senatorial slate.

Torres-Gomez

To recall, Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier announced that Torres-Gomez will join their ticket in the 2022 elections.

Matibag said Sotto was only “claiming” that Torres-Gomez will join them, adding that the congresswoman is a member of PDP-Laban.

Asked for comment on Matibag's mention of Torres-Gomez's name in PDP-Laban's slate, Sotto said: "Better ask Lucy herself, because during our last conversation, she said that if she runs, she will join our group. I even asked her permission to tell the media."

Capacity to win

Moreover, Matibag said they are eyeing to finalize and announce the senatorial slate by September 8 as they are still studying the winnability of the 20 politicians that are included in their initial list.

“We are looking at the capacity to win. Also, di ba ‘yung competency madali na lang e. Madali in a sense na kaya nila ang trabaho na ‘yan, mapapaghandaan pero ang tinitingnan natin dito ang winnability and also the track record and of course the relationship to the administration,” he said.

(We are looking at the capacity to win. In terms of competency, that’s easy because they can prepare for it but what we are looking at here is the winnability, the track record, and of course, the relationship to the administration.)

As early as July, Duterte already pushed some of his Cabinet men to run for senator in the upcoming polls.

The information about Cabinet officials running for the Senate was first revealed by Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone who also sits as PDP-Laban vice president for Visayas.

Previously, the national council of PDP-Laban had nominated Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and President Rodrigo Duterte for president and vice president in next year's elections. — RSJ, GMA News